City Hall Park

The Daily Plant : Monday, March 26, 2001

PARKIES SKATE AWAY THE LAST REMNANTS OF WINTER

The weather on Tuesday, March 20 was a perfect augur of spring. Parkies and friends of Parks bid farewell to winter as they skated across the ice at Wollman Rink for perhaps the last time this year. Over 200 stepped out of the ice, some of them dressed in historic garb, in a tribute to the evenings' sponsors, the Historic House Trust.

The Historic House Trust's skating event is becoming a Parks tradition. This year's included free admission, skates, cookies, and hot chocolate. (Given the weather, skaters may have craved more lemonade than hot chocolate.) The event was a thank you to the people who support Parks and the Historic House Trust.

Amy (Friday) Freitag, Director of the Historic House Trust, Terry (Calla Lily) Jackson, Director of Citywide Special Events, and Mandy (Mata Hari) Ikert, Administrative Assistant for the Historic House Trust judged a costume contest. Congratulations to Michelle and Sarahanne Grillo who split the prize for Most Historic Garb, Lee and Jeffrey Kuhn who won Most Creative Costume, and Noelle Anne Cutler who won Best Children's Costume. Thanks to the Historic House Trust for providing the fun.

HOUSE MUSEUMS FOR ALL PEOPLE

House directors of the Historic House Trust met at the Arsenal on Thursday, March 22, 2001 to discuss how historic house museums can be adapted for handicapped accessibility without damaging the integrity of the original design. A committee of interested members met as a follow up to a workshop jointly sponsored by Parks and the New York State Council on the Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in January. The workshop was called It Can Be Done: Building Audiences through Universal Planning and it focused on broad issues associated with increasing patronage and creating more welcoming, comfortable spaces through accessibility. The Historic House Trust and its members are meeting with staff from the Tenement Museum, the Cloisters, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to brainstorm possibilities.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Monday, April 4, 1988)

MAYOR KOCH AND 500 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS KICK OFF 1988 "SPRING BREAK IN PARKS" EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

"I do hereby give my pledge as an American to save and faithfully defend from waste the natural resources of my country - its soil and minerals, its forests, waters and wildlife, so help me God."

So were the words of Mayor Edward I. Koch last Friday at noon as he swore in more than 500 high school students perched on the City Hall steps. Dubbed official "student Parkies" for the week, these enthusiastic youngsters began their stint in the 1988 "Spring Break in the Parks" employment program, sponsored by Parks in cooperation with the Board of Education, by sprucing up City Hall Park.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

William Morris (1834-1896)